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2006 blue Prius clear coat paint problem

Discussion in 'Gen 2 Prius Care, Maintenance and Troubleshooting' started by scionfriar, May 15, 2014.

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  1. scionfriar

    scionfriar Junior Member

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    For the past several months, I've been losing the clear coat (I believe) from the fro of of my Prius. It started small and kept spreading. Now most of the roof is gone and it's starting down the edges of the doors.

    Clear plastic continues to flake off and it appears that where it has the paint itself is fading.

    My Prius is parked outside in sunny California, so it's definitely been in a lot of sun, but I've taken good care of it. Has anyone else had a similar problem? Any fixes that don't involve a complete new paint job?
     

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    #1 scionfriar, May 15, 2014
  2. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    are you the first owner? For an 8 year old car to look like that, it would have to have been repainted with a cheap clearcoat or you have it in the sun and rarely wash it.
     
    #2 JC91006, May 15, 2014
  3. scionfriar

    scionfriar Junior Member

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    Yes, I'm the original owner. :(:(

    I didn't wash it weekly or anything but about every month.
     
    #3 scionfriar, May 15, 2014
  4. scionfriar

    scionfriar Junior Member

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    My coworker has a blue 2005 that is doing exactly the same thing. Bizarre.
     
    #4 scionfriar, May 15, 2014
  5. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    The dirt on the car eats away at the paint. In really hot weather (maybe you are in the hotter parts of CA), this will accelerate the paint destruction.
     
    #5 JC91006, May 15, 2014
  6. scionfriar

    scionfriar Junior Member

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    We both live by the coast, so it's not ridiculously hot (except for the past few days)!
     
    #6 scionfriar, May 15, 2014
  7. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    oh, the salt water effect. that can't be good........

    I have a 2006 blue and I'm inland. No fading paint here.
     
    #7 JC91006, May 15, 2014
  8. scionfriar

    scionfriar Junior Member

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    Well, relatively...Costa Mesa and Long Beach.
     
    #8 scionfriar, May 15, 2014
  9. wjtracy

    wjtracy Senior Member

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    ...gee no sign of that on our 2006 whitey...just checked
     
    #9 wjtracy, May 15, 2014
  10. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Honda used to have a problem with their dark blue paint on their Odyssey vans. They offered an extended warranty on the car and repainted most of them for the owners. Some paints/clear coats are just more problematic.

    Lucky for us, the blue paint on the Prius isn't that expensive to repaint....compared to a red Prius.
     
    #10 JC91006, May 15, 2014
  11. scionfriar

    scionfriar Junior Member

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    Would you take it to the dealership for a repaint or a high quality paint shop?
     
    #11 scionfriar, May 15, 2014
  12. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    Personally I would just get it painted at a reputable paint shop. The dealer probably would do the same and charge you a high middle man fee.

    You have to remember this is a 2006 and you have to consider how many more years of service you would expect from the car. The same type of thinking would apply if you needed a replacement battery. A new battery would last 8 or more years but your car as a whole probably won't make it that far.
     
    #12 JC91006, May 15, 2014
  13. TampaPrius.com

    TampaPrius.com Active Member

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    I see that with the seaside blue a lot.
     
    #13 TampaPrius.com, May 15, 2014
    Kestrel1 likes this.
  14. scionfriar

    scionfriar Junior Member

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    Thanks for the input! It's probably not worth it, but it's such a great car with less than 100,000 miles still.
     
    #14 scionfriar, May 16, 2014
  15. JC91006

    JC91006 Senior Member

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    I would think only the roof, hood, and trunk area is like this. You can probably get only those areas painted at a reasonable price. No need to paint the sides of the car.
     
    #15 JC91006, May 16, 2014
  16. TampaPrius.com

    TampaPrius.com Active Member

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    #16 TampaPrius.com, May 16, 2014
  17. scionfriar

    scionfriar Junior Member

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    I took it to a couple different paint shops and they both essentially said the same thing: it's not worth it. They pointed out how the peeling was starting at the top of the doors and that you'd really have to repaint the whole thing and to do a really good job would be more than it's worth.

    Since then, the clear coat on the roof is gone and the hood has some large bubbles on it already. Quite a bummer for such a great car.
     
    #17 scionfriar, Mar 6, 2015
    Kestrel1 likes this.
  18. bisco

    bisco cookie crumbler

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    bizarre. how 'bout a cheap at earl scheib?
     
    #18 bisco, Mar 6, 2015
  19. M in KC

    M in KC Active Member

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    Vinyl wrap it
     
    #19 M in KC, Mar 7, 2015
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  20. JimN

    JimN Let the games begin!

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    To do it right the old paint has to be stripped off. If it isn't it will continue to delaminate under the new paint. How much should be spent to restore a car with no collectible value?

    If an inexpensive paint job is going to be done then sell the car before the warranty expires. The new paint will start to blister and peel shortly thereafter.

    Paint isn't as durable as it used to be. The cars that I have seen with paint in that condition come with owners that didn't wash & wax.
     
    #20 JimN, Mar 7, 2015
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